starter help

[hangbelly]

My 1990 200 merc is getting progressivly harder to start. she turns over fine when I turn the key but the starter disingages after a second or two. I am turning the key and holding on start but she wont keep crankin, just a short crank then it just quits turning over like I turned off the key. I have to turn the key again to crank it again. I get one short crank every time I turn the key. It turrns strong and fast, just short. (not a weak battery problem) Its been doing it for awhile now and always starts but the cranks are getting shorter and I have to try it 5 or 6 times to get it going even when warm. Starter? solinoid? ignition? Any one have a similar problem they have delt with?

[msbhammer]

Mine does it. I have a 200 Merc. It takes four cranks to start her. Time for a new starter maybe ???

[spareparts]

make sure you don't have a bad battery cable, seen alot of them lately, hook a set of jumper cables to the starter selenoid and to the block, hook the positive cable up first( to your battery in the boat) and see if it gets better(bad positive cable), if it doesn't, disconnect it and hook up the negative cable and see if it gets better(bad negative cable). If neither one gets better, hook them both up and see. Could be soemthing as simple as a bad connection. All else fails, take the starter to the starter shop